Impatiens plant named Radiance

ABSTRACT

An Impatiens plant named Radiance, having large red flowers, excellent self-branching and floriferousness, good trailing habit, variegated leaves, and excellent tolerance to both high and low temperatures.

The present invention relates to a new and distinctive cultivar ofImpatiens plant, botanically known as Impatiens, and known by thecultivar name Radiance. The new cultivar was developed by me throughcontrolled breeding by crossing Mikkelsen Seedling No. 86-185-1 (seedparent) with Mikkelsen Seedling No. 86-203-4 (pollen parent). Asexualreproduction by terminal or stem cuttings has shown that the uniquefeatures of this new impatiens are stabilized and are reproduced true totype in successive propagations.

The following characteristics distinguish the new impatiens from bothits parent varieties and other cultivated impatiens of this type knownand used in the floriculture industry. Certain characteristics are moremeaningful by reference to known cultivars. References are made toCosmos, U.S. Pat. No. P. 5,153; Pulsar, U.S. Pat. No. P. 5,783; Zenith,U.S. Pat. No. P. 5,804, and Mimas.

1. Radiance is a deep cherry-red in flower color while Cosmos is ligherin color, Pulsar has more red in the flower, and Mimas is more cherrylilac in color.

2. The anther hood of Radiance has a moderate amount of reddishcoloration, while Cosmos only has a trace and Pulsar and Mimas are solidreddish except for the top area.

3. Radiance is similar in growth to Cosmos with both havingsemi-trailing habits making them excellent for hanging baskets. Pulsaris a more upright compact growing plant, and Mimas is a totally uprightplant with a more open habit.

4. Radiance has large flowers similar in size to Zenith, with Pulsar,Mimas and Cosmos having much smaller flowers.

5. Leaf coloration of Radiance is a deep green which is similar toCosmos, while Zenith has a lighter green leaf, and Pulsar and Mimas havered-green leaves.

6. The leaf shape of Cosmos is narrower than Radiance, with Pulsar,Zenith and Mimas all having broader leaves. The leaves of Pulsar areshorter in length than Radiance, with Mimas having longer leaves, andCosmos and Zenith having similar length leaves.

7. Midrib of leaves of Radiance has more red pigmentation than Cosmos,but not as much as Pulsar and Mimas.

8. Radiance has the deepest reddish purple spur of the flower, withMimas, Cosmos and Pulsar all having lighter spurs, in that order.

9. Red pigmentation in the stems of Radiance is more than Zenith but notas much as Cosmos, Pulsar, and Mimas, with Mimas having the largestamount.

10. Radiance is very floriferous, and flowers early from plantedcuttings.

11. In the Radiance flower the two lower petals are larger than theupper petal, while in Cosmos those three petals are of equal size, andin Pulsar, Zenith and Mimas the upper petal is the largest.

The accompanying colored photograph is a top perspective view showingthe overall appearance of Radiance, with colors being as true as it isreasonably possible to obtain in a colored reproduction of this type.The photograph was taken in late June with the plant being grown in agreenhouse.

The following is a detailed description of Radiance based on plantsproduced under commercial practices in Ashtabula, Ohio under bothgreenhouse and outdoor growing conditions. Color references are made toThe Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart except where general termsof ordinary dictionary significance are used.

Parentage: A controlled cross between Mikkelsen Seedling No. 86-185-1and Mikkelsen Seedling No. 86-203-4.

Propagation:

Type cutting.--Stem cutting 15 mm long will develop to 4 to 5 cm long in18 to 21 days.

Time to root.--8 to 10 days at 23° C. summer, and 10 to 12 days at 20°C. winter.

Rooting habit.--Heavy, fibrous.

Plant description:

Form.--Semi-compact, self-branching, vigorous growing, symmetricallymounded, flowering herb.

Habit of growth.--Mounded with flowering over the top of the foliage;vigorous, continuous flowering; heavy self-branching; stems slightlytrailing.

Foliage.--Dark green leaves with green venation; cream centralvariegation is present approximately two-thirds the way up the leaf; onimmature leaves variegation starts as yellowish green color. On matureleaves there is small yellowish green band between cream area and darkgreen area. (1) Size: 10 to 12 cm long and 3 to 3.5 cm wide at maturity.Environment can affect the size of the leaf. (2) Shape: Oblanceolatewith acute apex and base. (3) Texture: Both upper and lower surfacesglabrous. (4) Margin: Entire and finely ciliated. (5) Color: Youngfoliage, top side: 137A with center variegation 144A. Under side: 137C.Mature foliage, top side: 147A with yellow-green with centralvariegation 11C and band 144A. Under side: 148B. (6) Venation: Pinnate,green in color.

Flowering description:

Flowering habits.--Flowers continuously from leaf whorl in progressivelyorderly manner with usually one flower per leaf axil but two onoccasion. The whorl above starts to open about the time the last flowersappear on the whorl below. It takes 5 to 7 days from bud to bloom, andflowers last two weeks or longer depending on the environment.

Natural flowering season.--Indeterminant and continuous. Quantity offlowering increases with increasing levels of light.

Flower buds.--Ellipsoidal, flowers perfect; reddish spurs (last 1-2 mmis green) up to 3.5 cm long on mature buds with throat behind ovary andoriginating from the major sepal.

Flowers borne.--On individual pedicels from whorls of usually sevenleaves, flowering progressively around the whorl as buds and leavesdevelop; most leaf axils have only one flower, but occasionally two.

Quantity of flowers.--Many large flowers; flower development iscontinuous so that tight buds to mature blooms are visible at the sametime. Self-branching habit makes plant floriferous as each branch hasflowers.

Petals.--(1) Shape: Heart shaped with two lower petals the largest. (2)Color: Top side in summer when opening, 53C fading to 63A to 63B; underside 63B. (3) Number of petals: Five (5) in number. (4) Size of flowers:6.0 to 6.5 cm in diameter.

Reproductive organs.--(1) Stamens: Five (5) in number. (a) Anther Shape:Hooded, color cream with reddish purple cast. (b) Pollen color: Cream.(2) Pistels (a) Stigma shape: Five (5) in number, segmented, columnshaped; color, whitish. (b) Style color: Cream. (c) Ovaries: Five (5) innumber, size 5 mm, color, green.

Disease resistance: No significant disease or insect problems noted todate.

Other characteristics: Radiance has shown tolerance to high temperaturesand sunlight without stopping blooming or incurring burn. The newcultivar is highly self-branched and floriferous, with flowers coveringthe plant canopy. It also has its ability to tolerate low temperatures(40°-50° F.) both in spring and fall which extends the flowering season.

I claim:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of Impatiens plant namedRadiance, as illustrated and described.